There were a few obvious problems I noticed when watching this episode.
1. The "Marge Becomes an Eroitc Baker" subplot never went anywhere. She just accepted the job, found out she was cooking erotic parts (which just resulted in a couple of lame penis jokes) and then... well went about her buisiness. It connects decently with Homer's plot and I guess having Marge fail at yet another buisness ethically or just reguarly would be cliched but it did just feel kind of there without any real point to the story. Not like Family Guy pointless but the "not even proper resolution" pointless. Obviously she won't have this job after this ep but we only know that since the show has clearly made it obvious before these kind of jobs don't last not because of the actual storytelling seen in this one.
2. The celebrity cameos felt pretty pointless. I wouldn't of even known Robert Forester did anything if they didn't even bother pointing it out in the credits, Julia Dryfus only had one line as Gloria (glad it's still canon she is Snake's Girlfriend but still) and I know Joe Mangentena said he'd come to do a voice even if Fat Tony only needed to cry or gurgle but FT didn't even really have any point in this ep. Really Sideshow Bob cameod a couple of times here and also could of just had a cameo line appearence but apparently they can only do an ep with him where he's at least partily the star but dosen't work the same with other guests I guess.
3. It was sort of a good joke but really it felt like a hole in the plot not telling us exactly what Homer was arrested for. I guess just disorderly conduct during the fight or something but still clarifying it would of been nice.
There were a few other points that I didn't like about this ep (a few too many obvious Jokes like Homer trying to explain to Snake shooting him would be a good thing and the whole bit between Skinner and Chalmers even if the 20 years line felt like a nice sublte meta ref) but really those are my only big qualms about it as this finale actually worked out pretty good. Unlike last year's finale the thing dosen't go careening all over the place: Yeah there was a St. Patrick's day opener but hey that's what "Homer Vs The Eigteenth Commandment" had as well which led to the main plot as well as had a nice selection of jokes (here it was barbs on how much a beer Free St. Patty's day suck, floats for straight prests and the average Irish family and a Lisa song ending in a riot). And though the Marge plot felt unneeded at least it was handled well and at least they managed to maintain the continuity of the Homer plot: Flanders saves Homer as he's repairing his store from the riot and Homer becomes a bounty when he forgot to show up from his court date (stuff they'd usually forget about actually). What really sells it though is that this is a Ned and Homer episode: there has been eps of that done before but I don't think one directly from both of them getting the same job and actually growing as friends even though they still have they're obvious diffrences. Usually it's just one annoying the other if the relationship deepens at all but not so here so the jokes about them enjoying cover band AC/DC rock and working together as a pair of bounty hunters (I don't know why but the Homer has to wait for his taser to charge joke worked for me). Even the big ending action scene made sense, parodying those kind of chases seen before (LOL at Homer actually praticing his flips in the elevator and Ned needlessly flipping on the stairs). The Batman parody was kind of overtone but the actual reconcile between the two (complete with an actually well placed Maude mention) worked. Obviously it wasn't meant to be overly emotional but since we did see them sort of bond before at least the scene made sense. Even the ending hits a decent note of Homer getting out of jail and enjoying the cake Marge baked for him (probably the best part of the erotic cake plot was that it actually led to GOOD Homer/Marge moments with the two of them just in love without fighting. That's always nice to see espically if it dosen't eclipse the plot). So despite it's flaws a very solid first episode. Defintley better then the last season premiere, or the last, or... actually the best Season Premiere Since "A Tale Of Two Springfields" (not counting the TOH that premiered seasons several years back).
